Apparatus for trapping and crushing solid particles entrained in a liquid stream



Sept. 8, 1970 J. E. STOCKMAN APPARATUS FOR TRAPPING AND CRUSHING SOLIDPARTICLES VFiled Oct. 2l, 1968 37"' /ZN l I Il 5g- 1 342i: /m32 i:

ENTRAINED IN A LIQUID STREAM yUnited States Patent O 3,527,244 APPARATUSFOR TRAPPING AND CRUSHING SOLID PARTICLES ENTRAINED IN A LIQUID STREAMJames E. Stockman, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Gulf Oil Corporation,Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Penn- Sylvania Filed Oct. 21, 1968,Ser. No. 769,304 Int. Cl. F16k 29/00 U.S. Cl. 137-244 8 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE A device for trapping and crushing solid particlesentrained in a liquid stream comprising an annular orifice defined by anouter fixed passageway and an inner moveable member. Upon operation ofthe moveable member, an enlarged portion thereof crushes the entrainedparticles held on the annular orifice, and congruous inclined surfacesextending outwardly of the passageway and on the moveable member furthercrush the particles.

This invention pertains to a device for removing entrained particles ofcoke from streams of high viscosity fuel oil.

Heretofore, in the general field of removing solid particles from liquidstreams, screens of various types and configurations were most generallyutilized. Screens suffer from the disadvantage that they must beperiodically cleaned which often entails disassembly of the device inwhich the screen is mounted. Such disassembly requires that the devicebe taken out of the flow line, which results in a stoppage of flow for aperiod of time.

The present invention provides a novel and a simple device to solve theproblem of removal of particles from liquid streams. The presentinvention provides an annular orifice defined by a moveable memberextending into a larger opening in a fixed member. The fixed member isprovided with a conical surface extending outwardly from the mouth ofthe opening, and the moveable member is provided with a mating conicalsurface. By operating the moveable member, the annular orifice is madesmaller, and the trapped particles on the annular orifice are crushedbetween the mating conical surfaces, after which the conical surfacesare moved apart, and the now crushed entrained particles are flushedaway by the liquid stream. Thus, the disadvantages of the screen typesof devices are overcome. The device is operated externally and operationof the device has no appreciable effect on flow. r

The device needs no disassembly during its normal operation. There areno internal parts requiring cleaning.

More specifically, the invention has been used in conjunction with theburning of high viscosity fuel in commercial applications. The presenceof solid particles of coke in this fuel has been a problem in that thecoke fouls the burner nozzle to which the fuel is being fed. This fuelis supplied at relatively high pressure and high temperature, and priorscreening type devices would be unsatisfactory in that substantialhazards to personnel would result from handling the fuel at such hightemperatures and high pressures as would be required in order todismantle the equipment to clean or replace the screen.

Another avantage of the invention is its extreme simplicity. Thepreferred embodiment of the invention has only one moving part, and thatone part is returned to its normal position after each operation eitherby hand as part of the operation or by the pressurized fuel itself,thereby eliminating any springs or other return means.

While the invention has been designed for and has been used inconjunction with solid particles of coke in 3,527,244 Patented Sept. 8,1970 lCe high viscosity, high temperature, and high pressure fuelstreams, it will be understood by those skilled in this art that theinvention may be utilized with any liquid stream and with virtually anysolid particles entrained therein, so long as the solids are susceptibleto being crushed by a reasonable amount of force, as will appear moreclearly below.

The above and other advantages of the invention will be pointed out orwill become evident in the following detailed `description and claims,and in the accompanying drawing also forming a part of the disclosure,in which: FIG. l is an elevational perspective view of an apparatusembodying the invention; FIG. 2 is a longitudinal, crosssectional viewthereof; and FIG. 3 is a view similar to to a portion of FIG. 2 showingthe down or crushing position of the moveable member.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10 designates a coke crushingdevice embodying the invention. Device 10 comprises a body member 12formed with an inlet orifice 14 on one side surface thereof. Orifice 14is sho-wn somewhat diagrammatically, in that it may also include means,such as screw threads, O rings, or the like to attach a fuel supplyconduit to said orifice. Extending upwardly from the top of the device10` is an operating stem 16 formed with a square cross-section endportion `17, on which is mounted an operating member 18. Stem portion 16and operating member 18 form part of a moveable member assembly 20, seeFIG. 2. At its lower end, within the body, moveable member 20 comprisesan enlarged portion 22, a downwardly and inwardly conical portion 23, abottom enlarged cylindrical portion 24, a smaller diameter cylindricalorifice defining tip 26, and a conical shoulder portion 25interconnecting cylindrical portion 24 and tip 26.

Means are provided to form a chamber within body 12 and to collect cokeor other entrained solid particles within said chamber. To this end, aninternal chamber 28 is defined by a cylindrical surface 27 and a conicalsurface 29 in the body 12. Conical surface 29` is congruous to conicalportion 23 of moveable member 20. Body member 12 is formed with apassageway 30` extending from inlet orifice 14 to chamber 28 whichintersects said chamber in the region of conical surface 29.

Means are provided to permit flow of fuel out of chamber 28 and to trapany entrained solid particles in said chamber. To this end, body member12 is formed with an exit passageway 32 which extends downwardly fromthe bottom of conical surface 29, and which is of a predetermineddiameter. A side passageway 33 interconnects passageway 32 with an exitorifice 34. Exit orifice 34 is similar to inlet orifice 14 as to thediagrammatic showing thereof, as explained above, and feeds the fuel tothe burner or burners being fed by the invention.

Means are provided to seal the upper end of the chamber 28, and soslidingly seal around the stem 16 of moveable member 20. To this end, asealing nut 36 is threadedly fitted in a suitably formed top opening inbody member 12. The interconnection between sealing nut 36 and the bodymember 12 is preferably by means of pipe threads 36, chemical sealingmeans, or the like, to form a secure fluid tight seal. Nut 36 carries apacking gland 38 formed with an internal through opening 38 of adiameter large enough to easily pass operating stem 16. Gland 38 isjoined to nut 36 by `means of pipe threads 40 or the like to form atight secure seal therebetween. At its lower end, a packing member 42formed of No. 2l() anchor spiral packing, or other suitable material isprovided. Gland 38 is screwed down on threads 40 to compress packingmember 42 between the nut and the gland and in sliding sealing relationto operating stem 16. Actual experience has shown that the onlymaintenance the preferred apparatus embodying the invention required isperiodic checking or replacement of packing member 42, and this isreadily accomplished by simply unthreading and adjusting gland 38.

OPERATION Device is operatively connected into a fuel supply conduitfeeding a fuel burner, not shown. In the embodiment of the inventionwhich has been successfully built and which has been in successful usefor more than four months, in continuous operation 24 hours a day, sevendays a week, oil of a viscosity of one million to two million SayboltFural Seconds at 122 F. was fed through the device to an industrial fuelburner. The oil was kept at temperatures above 370 F. to achieve properatomization thereof in the oil burner and was delivered through thedevice of the invention and to the burner at pressures in the range ofabout 40 p.s.i. to about 90 p.s.i. This fuel contains significantquentities of entrained coke. The fuel is supplied through inlet orifice14 and passageway 30 into chamber 28. The angle of attack of thepressurized fuel through passageway 30 against conical portion 23 holdsthe movable member in the up position shown in FIG. 2. The relativediameters of the tip 26 and exit passageway 32 provides an annularorifice therebetween of predetermined radial dimension. As is readilyapparent dependent upon the natures of the entrained particles and ofthe application, the thickness of this annular orifice is adjusted toretain particles larger than some predetermined size. This desideratummay be accomplished by providing different movable member assemblies 20having various size tips 26, or by providing replaceable tips 26 and/ orreplaceable end assemblies comprising portions 24, and 26 or oneassembly 20.

As flow continues, the coke particles C collect on the orifice betweentip 26 and passageway 32. When the amount of coke builds up to such anextent that burner operation, or, in the more generic sense, performanceat the delivery end, experiences an effect, then the operator pressesdown on operating member 18 and turns the operating member to therebycrush the coke first between shoulder 25 and the sharp edge betweensurface 29 and passageway 32, and thereafter between the two congruentconical surfaces 23 and 29. In the actual installation described above,it was found that with a flow rate averaging about 150 g.p.h. it wasnecessary to perform the coke crushing operation about once per 24 hourday. Of course, it will be understood that more frequent operation ofthe device to remove collected solid particles is not harmful and is infact beneficial, and therefore frequent operation at regular intervalswith, for example, some correlation to shift changes, or with someautomatic device to strike and turn member 18, may prove most effective.The device is of most value when an operational upset dislodgesexcessive coke particles in the system which will tend to plug the oilburners in a few minutes, which, of course, is immediately corrected.

Referring to FIG. 3, the condition immediately after the crushingoperation is shown. The coke C is now in the form of very fineparticles. As soon as the crushing operation is complete, which isvirtually instantaneous, the operator simply removes his hand frommember 18 and the force of the incoming pressurized fuel in passageway30 impnges upon surface 23 and returns movable member 20 to the positionof FIG. 2. Normal flow of fuel through the device thereafter flushes thefine particles of coke out passageway 33 and into the burner where,because of its now fine size, it is easily burned along with the fuel.

The crushing operation is virtually instantaneous, and observation ofthe device in operation has shown that the flame issuing from the burneror burners being fed by the device of the invention flickers onlyslightly, and no other effect is encountered.

In actual use of the invention, it has been found that operation isusually one smooth motion, entailing push down, twist, and pull up onoperating member 18. Thus, while impingement of the fuel on conicalportion 23 will move the operating member upwardly, this feature neednot be utilized. In this same regard, the true proportions of the partshave been somewhat distorted in the drawing, in that enlarged portion 22actually fits much more closely, although loosely, within cylindricalsurface 27. During operation, the actual crushing of the trapped cokeparticles C occurs between thickened portion 24 and passageway 32, onthe shoulder 25, and between the congruous surfaces 23 and 29.

While the invention has been described in detail above, it is to beunderstood that this detailed description is by way of example only, andthe protection granted is to be limited only within the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for trapping and crushing solid particles entrained in afluid stream, comprising a body member formed with a chamber, means topermit the flow of said fluid stream into said chamber, means to permitthe flow of said fluid stream out of said chamber comprising an exitpassageway of predetermined configuration and dimensions, a movablemember mounted on said body member comprising a tip portion normallypositioned in said exit passageway, said tip portion being of apredetermined configuration similar to the predetermined configurationof said exit passageway and of predetermined dimensions smaller than thepredetermined dimensions of said exit passageway, whereby an annularexit orifice of predetermined size is formed between said tip portionand said exit passageway to trap solid particles in said fluid stream onsaid annular exit orifice larger than said predetermined size of saidannular exit orifice.

2. The combination of claim 1, said annular exit orifice comprising thebottom of said chamber, said chamber comprising an upwardly andoutwardly tapered surface extending upwardly and outwardly from saidexit passageway and forming a sharp edge therewith, said movable membercomprising a thickened portion above said tip portion of predeterminedconfiguration and dimensions which is normally positioned above saidexit passageway, said movable member comprising an upwardly andoutwardly tapered surface extending upwardly and outwardly from theupper end of said thickened portion, said upwardly and outwardly taperedsurfaces of said movable member and of said chamber being similar toeach other, whereby upon downward motion of said movable member in saidchamber, said thickened portion will urge accumulated solid particles onsaid anular exit orifice upwardly and outwardly onto said taperedsurface of said chamber, and whereby the accumulated solid particlesbetween the tapered surfaces of said chamber and said movable member arecrushed therebetween.

3. The combination of claim 2, said fluid entrance means comprising afluid entrance passageway extending from an external portion of saidbody member upwardly and inwardly into said chamber and intersecting aportion of said tapered surface of said chamber, whereby pressurizedfluid entering said chamber will impinge upon said tapered surface ofsaid movable member to urge said movable member upwardly.

`4. The combination of claim 1, said movable member comprising anenlarged portion positioned within said chamber, said fluid entrancemeans comprising a fluid entrance passageway beginning at the outside ofsaid body member and extending upwardly and inwardly into said chamber,whereby the force of the fluid entering said chamber impinging upon saidenlarged portion of said movable member will urge said movable memberupwardly.

5. The combination of claim 2, said movable member comprising a conicalshoulder portion interconnecting said tip portion and said thickenedportion.

6. The combination of claim 1, said movable member comprising anoperating stem portion extending outwardly of said body member, means toslidingly seal said stem portion in said body member, and means topermit reciprocatory and rotational motion of said tip portion withrespect to the axis of said stem portion by manipulation of saidoutwardly etxending portion of said body member.

7. The combination of claim 6, said last mentioned means comprising anoperating member joined to said stem portion by a mating non-roundcross-section pin and opening connection.

`8. The combination of claim 6, and packing gland means to urge saidsealing means into sliding sealing relation to said stem portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS CLARENCE R. GORDON, PrimaryExaminer

